A/N: I decided to celebrate the closing of season two with an update. I swear, 104 made me cry, squee, and everything in between all at the same time. Then there's that feeling of complete emptiness that happens right after a really good series finishes, even though I know season 3 is gonna start soon. Although the whole time I kept thinking 'what's gonna happen to Leon?' and 'he better appear in season 3, or I'll rage' and people know I mean it. Not to mention the two and a half week wait for season three to start is really gonna kill me. So here's chapter 2 of Apartment B. Also, since the last chapter focused so much on Kin's angsting(why do my characters always turn out this way? Someone tell me) I decided I'd write a little from Koutei's POV before switching back. I think I can do that much.
Chapter 2
Paranoia runs in the family
"Ken-nii, where are you going?"
Kenji looked up, halfway done with putting on his shoes when his sister approached him. He grinned.
"Going to greet the neighbors." He said, slipping his socked feet into his other shoe. "I'd have earlier, but..."
Kinta hummed, tilting her head. "Well, I'm going to be in my room working then. Don't disturb me unless the apartment is on fire, or I'll drill your head into the wall."
"Right, do not disturb."
He watched her turn back to him, disappearing down the hallway. He sighed, things never change.
The sudden sound of a drill broke the momentary silence, and he chuckled.
"I wonder what she's making..."
xXxXxXx
The front door looked so intimidating now that he stood in front of it. He inhaled deeply, what was there to be scared of? All he needed to do was knock, say hello, and introduce himself. Probably answer a few(possibly) awkward questions, then he could go back and build his new model Gundam. Maybe he could get Kinta to do her work in his room for some sibling bonding, she always did love building things.
He shook his head. No! Now was not the time to think of this. He slowly approached the door, lifting a hand.
Knock knock.
There, he did it. Now maybe that little voice in the back of his head(that sounded suspiciously like Yuri) would shut up.
He flinched at the click that signaled the door opening, visibly wondering just why it was getting so hard to breath. Was this that paranoia his friends talked about? He didn't like it.
The door opened to reveal a young(man? woman?) with shoulder length blue hair and matching blue eyes. S/he looked surprised, before smiling gently.
"Hello, can I help you?" Oh, that was definitely a guy. With that cleared up, Kenji inwardly composed himself enough to manage a strained(hopefully the man wouldn't notice) smile and speak.
"Hello. My name is Mitsusada Kenji." He said, bowing his head slightly. "Me and my sister just moved in to the apartment next door, so I thought I'd greet our neighbors." Oh god, his voice wasn't shaking, was it? It didn't seem like it, as the man simply smiled again.
"I see. I'm Sendou Aichi. I live here with my husband and daughter. I hope we'll get along." Husband? He must have looked confused, because the man, Aichi, explained: "Ah, it's a little complicated, but I hope you don't mind that we're..."
"Oh, no, it's fine. We won't mind at all, I'm actually the same, kind of. It is confusing." He laughed, scratching his cheek. "I better be going now, I don't want my sister to burn the apartment down." With that, he turned with a wave.
"Ah, just a moment." Aichi called. Kenji turned back. "Um, your sister, how old is she?"
"Eh? Ah, she's eleven." There was a pause as Aichi processed the information, looking quite shocked.
"But, you look like your in your twenties! She's rather young." He said. Kenji knew he was saying it out of surprise rather than ridicule, but it stung either way.
"My mom was rather young, around 22, when she had me, so I was around 18 when my sister came to be." He said cautiously. He didn't want to give away too much information about their family, like the reason it was just him and his sister, or why his sister was with him in the first place. "It's a little confusing, but we moved here since I'm attending the university nearby and she's going to be transferred into the fifth grade at the elementary school right next door."
Something sparked in Aichi's eyes, something like realization. "Oh, my husband teaches there, and my daughter is in the fifth grade at the school." He smiled. "Please get along with them."
Kenji smiled. "I will."
xXxXxXx
"Ken-nii's getting close to the neighbors, I can hear them."
Kinta sat under the window of her brother's room, reading the back of one of his model Gundam boxes. A cellphone was held between her shoulder and ear, a little bear charm hanging off it, the bell around it chiming.
"Does it matter? As long as he doesn't say too much, it should be fine. I mean, even he knows that no one needs to know that your parents are- Oi, you, back off. Can't you see I'm on the phone?"
There was a familiar whine on the other end as the speakers argued, and Kinta sighed.
"With the way you two get along, I'm surprised you can live under the same roof, Leon-nii." She said, a tiny smile slipping. There was the sound of a door slamming on the other end, before the speaker said:
"Once people see how we act, they stop thinking it's sad that we get couple counseling from an elementary schooler-"
"That happens to have more knowledge on the subject than the two adults she happens to be counseling." Her smile grew at the annoyed sigh, "Even though I'm an elementary schooler."
"Right. Look, I gotta go, someone's whining through the door again. I need to go shut him up."
"Wait, when are you guys moving again? and where?" She had to know, seeing as these two were her main source of entertainment.
"Two weeks. And like I'm telling you, you little monster."
"Okay. Don't talk to the toilet, I've heard it's bad for your sanity. You know, whatever's left of it."
"For the last fucking time, it's not-" Deciding it was time to stop him before it started, Kinta pulled the phone away from her ear and swiped the 'call end' button, effectively silencing her companion.
"Was that Leon?" Kenji said, walking into the room. Kinta shrugged, placing the phone on the desk next to her. "I know those two need the help, but go easy on them. They have enough problems as it is."
"You mean besides the fact that Leon-nii is half-crazy and Daigo-san is extremely clingy when Leon-nii is extremely not?"
"Only half?" Kenji said, raising his eyebrows. "I guess he has gotten better then, if that's anything to go by."
Kinta shrugged again, handing him the box. He nodded, carefully taking off the tape that kept it sealed. "What were you making?"
"Another shelf. At the rate your going, I think you'll need it soon." She said, lazily motioning to the Gundam-filled room."
"... Thanks, I think."
xXxXxXx
A/N: Head-canon says the reason Koutei hates attention is because of paranoia. It'll take time to explain, but if you really need to know my reasoning, go ahead and ask. Also, I couldn't decide if I wanted to throw in Leon or Yuri for the phone call, but since this is in honor of episode 104, Leon seemed like the best choice, and it'll make more sense in later chapters(you know, if we get that far) And if anyone is confused about the pairing, check my profile, it has all my reasoning there. It makes sense when you look at it like I do. And for anyone that's confused about the whole toilet thing, me and Shadownia dubbed Void the 'Magical Talking Toilet'. Don't ask, you'll just get a headache.
Omake #2:
Message from Leon-nii
Subject: Therapy
As I thought this was a horrible idea
.
Message from Monster
Subject: Re: Therapy
I didn't think of it, you did.
.
Message from Monster
Subject: RE: Therapy
I think paranoia runs in my family
.
Mesage from Leon-nii
Subject: RE: Therapy
I'm not even going to ask
.
Message from Monster
Subject: RE: Therapy
You'd just get a headache